Bellator CEO says Roger Huerta at top of 155-pound tourney, not opposed to UFC signings

Acquiring the services of an athlete who’s graced the cover of Sports Illustrated is a big deal by any standard.

After an extended negotiation period, Bellator Fighting Championships scored Roger Huerta (20-3-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) for its second season of tournament action – which begins April 8 in Hollywood, Fla. – in one of its highest-profile signings to date.

Huerta was a breakout star of 2007 for his gutsy performances inside the UFC’s octagon. The Las Vegas-based promotion was quick to recognize his marketability and gave him a major push, which led to his appearance on the cover of the renowned magazine.

But up until this point, Huerta has been a UFC commodity. And in all but a few signings, Bellator has gone out of its way to find new talent that can help its brand grow into its own. While many organizations swipe up the UFC’s castoffs, Bellator has largely shied away from that strategy.

Why is Huerta different?

The answer is he’s not – except for the interest he currently drives in the U.S. market and the interest he’s expected to generate in the Hispanic market that Bellator also targets.

Even if his popularity is rooted in another show, it’s a valuable investment for the upstart promotion, according to Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney.

“Roger is just a different breed of cat,” Rebney told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Monday. “I mean, just the fan response and the excitement level – numbers don’t lie. The ratings points, the attendance at events – Roger brings that extra something into the cage and into an organization.

“As a fan I used to watch Roger fight, and it was something that you would stay home to do. So there’s never really been a line drawn in the sand (between the UFC talent and Bellator talent). The qualifications are great talent, and the ability to conceivably win one of our tournaments, and this gentleman has got those on overdrive.”

Huerta, who has fought only twice in the past two years, said he will continue to represent the Hispanic community when he steps inside the Bellator cage. He is anxious to get back to a busy fight schedule.

“It was a very easy decision to make and a very long and exhaustive negotiation with his management and his attorneys, but it came through and we’re very happy with it, and I think Roger’s happy with it as well,” Rebney said. “It’s good for us, it’s good for him, and I think it will be good for fans who want to watch him fight regularly.”

Huerta’s opponent for the first bracket of Bellator’s eight-man lightweight tournament will be announced by the end of the week, Rebney said. With a little more than three weeks until season two begins, the promotion’s lightweight roster has seven of the fight tournament slots announced.

“Everything’s coming together right now,” Rebney said. “[Roger’s signing] was the last piece of that equation in terms of 155 to close out that weight division.”

When the tournament begins, Rebney considers Huerta a favorite.

“It would be very difficult to put him in any lightweight tournament on the face of the earth and have him not be the No. 1 seed, so going into it I think you’re talking about a fighter who is going in at the top of that bracket,” Rebney said.

For more on the season-opening Bellator 13 and other upcoming shows, check out the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

Steven Marrocco is a staff reporter for MMAjunkie.com and an MMA contributor for The Vancouver Sun.

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